DIRECTOR’S NOTESMy mentor in graduate school used to say, “It’s in the drinking water” when he pointed out a presumption made by his students because of their backgrounds.For those of us raised in America, it’s in our drinking water to believe that one person can make a difference. It’s in our drinking water to have faith that the truth will always prevail. It’s in our drinking water to believe in the wisdom of the majority.

It was ironic to me when I reread An Enemy of the People many years later; Ibsen and Miller used that very same symbol - water - to challenge those basic ideals we often hold sacred.

Almost 125 years ago, Ibsen wrote Enemy in response to the public denouncement he received after writing his controversial play about syphilis, Ghosts. He claimed that, “Dr. Stockmann and I got on excellently
together; we agree on so many subjects.” Not surprisingly, almost 70 years later, Arthur Miller adapted Enemy as a precursor to The Crucible and an exploration of the plight of whistleblowers and those who go against the majority to express unpopular beliefs.

It has been interesting to ask contemporary folks what issues float to the surface when we retell this century old story about poisoned water. I’ve heard some connect Stockmann’s story with opposition to the current war, others with the role of the media, still others with global warming - just to name a few.

We hope this play challenges you to grapple with what’s in your drinking water.